Chapter 7 - The Burning Waters
The shockwave threw me violently into the dark, freezing waters of the bay.
Burning debris rained down all around me, hissing loudly as it hit the cold ocean surface.
I fought against the heavy weight of my tactical gear, kicking desperately to reach the surface.
I gasped for air, tasting toxic black smoke and salty sea water.
My loyal men were frantically throwing ropes from the surviving section of the pier.
I grabbed a heavy rope and let them pull my freezing body out of the treacherous water.
I collapsed onto the wet wooden planks, coughing up seawater and staring at the retreating yacht.
It was moving too fast for us to catch in the heavy, armored vehicles we had driven.
I thought I had completely lost everything I ever cared about in this dark world.
Then, my tech specialist ran up to me, holding a glowing digital tablet.
He shouted that the yacht was a fake decoy designed to draw us away from the real target.
He had hacked the city's maritime radar and noticed the yacht was broadcasting a looped thermal signature.
Vincenzo had never actually boarded the boat; it was just a hologram and a hired body double.
I forced myself up, ignoring the agonizing pain in my bruised ribs.
I demanded to know where the real Vincenzo Moretti was hiding.
The specialist traced Vincenzo's personal cell phone signal to an old, abandoned cathedral on the edge of town.
Vincenzo was notoriously superstitious and believed the church would protect him from his sins.
We piled back into the remaining SUVs and drove like absolute maniacs toward the cathedral.
The massive Gothic building loomed in the stormy darkness, surrounded by heavily armed guards.
I didn't care about tactics or stealth anymore.
I ordered my men to crash the vehicles directly through the heavy wooden front doors of the church.
Wood splintered and glass shattered as our trucks plowed straight into the sacred main hall.
We jumped out firing, turning the holy sanctuary into an absolute warzone.
Moretti guards fell across the wooden pews as my soldiers advanced with brutal efficiency.
I fought my way toward the grand altar, my eyes completely fixed on the shadows.
Suddenly, a terrifying scream echoed from the stone crypts directly beneath the altar.
It was Grace, and her voice sounded agonizingly weak.
I ran toward the hidden stone staircase behind the massive marble cross.
But before I could take a single step down, a heavy metal gate slammed shut, locking me out.
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Vincenzo's voice echoed through the ancient stone walls of the dark church.
He announced that Grace's water had just broken, and my son was coming into the world right now.
